In the early 80’s, I walked across the Burrard Bridge in Vancouver. Not alone, however. With me were more than 50,000 persons, mostly of my generation, on the Walk for Peace. Loving peace, I think, is one of three important qualities of my generation.
That desire for peace has been an important char
acteristic of my generation for a long time. I grew up in the 60’s and early 70’s. At that time, many of us took part in demonstrations（示威游行） against the Vietnam War. Many people of my generation have devoted their lives to world peace, and lately we have seen success: US and Russian nuclear weapons are half their 1980 levels and nuclear disarmament（裁减军备） is agreed upon worldwide.
Another characteristic of my generation is our participation in the “marriage revolution”. We were the first generation that had access to safe and reliable birth control. The idea of “free love” made it easier for men and women to safely express their love before marriage. The marriage revolution gave us power, especially to women, and the world was changed forever.
The most important characteristic, however, is that many of us are deeply concerned about the environment. The results of my generation’s activities can be seen everywhere.
Although not all of us have participated, it is sure that we will continue to have a large impact on North America. We are nearing 50 years old, an age where people of my generation will become successful in politics and then, who knows what changes will come.
59. Which of the following does not belong to the characteristics of the author’s generation?
A. Travelling peacefully. B. The wish for peace.
C. Belief in the idea of “free love”. D. Protecting the environment.
60. “My generation” may be people born between ________.
A. the 50s and 60s B. the 60s and 70s
C. the 70s and 80s D. the 80s and 90s
61. The passage implies that ________.
A. most of the author’s generation died for world peace
B. all the countries agreed to remove the nuclear weapons
C. the demonstrations against the Vietnam War achieved success
D. some of the author’s generation may have greater influence on the country
Arthur Miller （1915-2005）is universally recognized as one of the greatest dramatists of the 20th century. Miller’s father had moved to the USA from Austria Hungary, attracted like so many others by the “Great American Dream”. However, he experienced severe financial hardship when his family business was ruined in the Great Depression of the early l930s.
Miller’s most famous play, Death of a Salesman, is a powerful attack on the American system, with its aggressive way of doing business and its insistence on money and social status as symbol of worth. In Willy Loman, the hero of the play, we see a man who has got into trouble with this system. Willy is “burnt out” and in the cruel world of business there is no room for sympathy: if he can't do the work, then he is no good to his employer, the Wagner Company, and he must go. Willy is painfully aware of this, and at a loss as to what to do with his lack of success. He refuses to face the fact that he has failed and kills himself in the end.
When it was first staged in 1949, the play was greeted with enthusiastic reviews, and it won the Tony Award for Best Play, the New York Drama Critics’ Circle Award, and the Pulitzer Prize for Drama. It was the first play to win all three of these major awards.
Miller died of heart failure at his home in Roxbury, Connecticut, on the evening of February 10, 2005, the 56th anniversary of the first performance of Death of a Salesman on Broadway.Why did Arthur Miller’s father move to the USA?
| A．He suffered from severe hunger in his home country. |
| B．He was attracted by the “Great American Dream”. |
| C．He hoped to make his son a dramatist. |
| D．His family business failed. |
The play Death of a Salesman _______________.
| A．exposes the cruelty of the American business world |
| B．discusses the ways to get promoted in a company |
| C．talks about the business career of Arthur Miller |
| D．focuses on the skills in doing business |
What can we learn about Willy Loman?
| A．He treats his employer badly. |
| B．He runs the Wagner Company. |
| C．He is a victim of the American system. |
| D．He is regarded as a hero by his colleagues. |
After it was first staged, Death of a Salesman __________.
| A．achieved huge success |
| B．won the first Tony Award |
| C．was warmly welcomed by salesmen |
| D．was severely attacked by dramatists |
Britain's most popular lie has been disclosed, with one in four people admitting using “sorry I had no signal" when returning a missed mobile phone call, a survey found．
Researchers found the average Briton tells on average four lies every day or almost 1500 every year．Almost one in six men admitted they were most likely to lie to their wife or girlfriend, on average at least twice a day．The most popular lie was saying you had no mobile phone signal, with one in four people admitting regularly using the little white lie．It usually came after they hit the “ignore" button when their mobile rang．
Three quarters of people think women are better liars．The research found 46 per cent of girls have been caught lying, compared to 58 of men．
The second most common fib is “I haven't got any cash on me” when asked for money by beggars and Big Issue sellers．“Nothing's wrong – I'm fine” came third followed by “You look lovely” and “Nice to see you”．
Modern technology turned out to have contributed to many lies with “I didn't get your text” in 18th, “Our server was down” in 20th and “My battery died” in 26th place．Other lies to make the top ten included “I'll give you a ring”, “We're just good friends” and “We'll have to meet up soon”．“I'm on my way” and “No, your bum doesn't look big in that” completed the top ten．
In many cases perhaps it is better to delight someone with a fib than destroy someone with the truth, according to a spokesman for One Poll, which carried out the research of 4,300 adults．He added: ‘As a nation we just like trying to be nice and not upsetting people．Often little white lies can cover what we actually want to say．Most of these were considered completely harmless．’“You look lovely” and “Sorry, I had no signal” ranked __________ on the popular-lie list．
| A．fourth and tenth | B．fourth and first |
| C．third and tenth | D．third and first |
What does the underlined part in Paragraph 4 mean?
| A．sentence | B．expression |
| C．excuse | D．lie |
How many lies does an average Briton tell on average every month?
| A．About 120 | B．About 360 |
| C．About 1,500 | D．About 4 |
Just like children, baby animals spend countless hours at play. After studying animal play for many years, scientists recognize that young animal play is practice for adult behavior. Today this play is roughly divided into the following groups.
Locomotor play refers to the movements animals carry out in their play. Running, leaping, turning, and kicking are some of the most common examples of locomotor play. An adult deer may run, leap, and twist(曲折前进) to escape its attackers. Play movements like these surely make young animals nimble. Someday these skills might help save their lives.
Moving forward slowly, attacking suddenly .and biting are examples of predatory play that help young predators(食肉动物) prepare for a life of running after and taking hold of other animals. Wild cats, wolves, and bears are predators. It is very common to see these young animals play this kind of games which sharpen their skills and teach them about their strengths and limitations.
For children, playing with toys is both fun and educational. It helps improve their hand and eye movements as well as develop hand skills to accomplish tasks. It is the same with animals. Young chimpanzees improve their hand skills while playing with sticks. Birds also play with things in ways that teach. Swallows drop and recover feathers in mid air. Diving suddenly to catch the feathers is good practice for catching flying insects.
Social play helps animals learn how to behave when they run into other animals. And it teaches animals about communication. An animal gives signals to let another animal know it wants to play. Many animals give signals by showing a " play face" . In some ways this face is like a human smile; the animal holds its mouth in a relaxed and open manner. During play-fights, some animals may step backwards to signal that they are playing and not acting seriously.
Until now, scientists have understood playful acts help prepare animals for their serious adult situations. But the numbers of playful species and examples of animal play are vast. The purpose of animal play may have meanings scientists have not discovered yet.The main purpose of the text is to ______.
| A．ask us to take good care of wild animals |
| B．encourage us to learn more about animals |
| C．entertain us with interesting animal stories |
| D．show us something about animal behavior |
The underlined word "nimble" in Paragraph 2 can best be replaced by______.
| A．cruel | B．swift |
| C．curious | D．strong |
Which of the following belongs to predatory play?
| A．A deer runs, leaps, and turns. |
| B．A chimpanzee plays' with a stick. |
| C．A lion moves slowly and makes an attack suddenly. |
| D．A dog holds its mouth in a relaxed and open manner. |
Based on Paragraph 5, a " play face " is______.
A. a type of signal between animals
B. a name for a kind of animal play
C. an activity that involves adult animals
D an action that is taught to another animal Which of the following shows the structure of the text?
The uninvolved dad, turning up his nose at diapering(换尿布) and too busy to bathe, dress and play with his kids, is mostly a myth(神话) , a big government survey suggests. Most American fathers say they are heavily involved in hands-on parenting, the researchers found.
The results are encouraging and important " because others have found the more involved dads are, the better the outcomes for their children. " said researcher Jo Jones of the National Center for Health Statistics, part of the Centers for Disease Control Prevention. She co-authored the report released Friday.
"Times have changed," said Robert Loftus, 34, of Yonkers, NY. He quit a six-figure sales job a year ago to care for his two young children while his wife works full time. "We are trying to rethink our priorities (优先考虑的事) and family seem to be N0 1 priority while in the past maybe people were more focused on career. "
The study involved nearly 4.000 fathers who were interviewed in person between 2009 and 2013.
◇Key findings among fathers living with children younger than 5 :
*9 in 10 bathed, diapered, helped them use the toilet or get dressed at least several times weekly .
* Even higher numbers played with them and ate meals with them that often
* Almost 2 0ut of 3 read to them at least several times weekly.
◇Among dads living with kids aged 5-18.
* More than 9 0ut of 10 ate meals with them at least several times weekly and talked with them about what happened during the kids' day that often.
* Almost 2 0ut of 3 helped with homework several times weekly.
* About half took their kids to or from activities that often.
Dr. David Hill, a Wilmington, N. C. pediatrician (儿科医生) said the survey reflects what he's seen among his patients' fathers. Increasingly, fathers rather than mothers take their kids to the doctor. Some "are anxious about changing a diaper, " he said.
Census(调查) numbers show that there were almost 190,000 stay-at-home dads nationwide last year versus 93,000 in 2010. Loftus, the New York stay-at-home dad, said, "I feel fortunate to be able to be such a hands-on father. I'm doing the most significant occupation in the world. "What can we learn about the research?
| A．It aimed to study fathers' influence on kids. |
| B．It showed most fathers often helped kids learn. |
| C．It found most fathers played with kids every day. |
| D． It mainly surveyed fathers' living with young kids. |
According to the text, Robert Loftus would agree that______.
| A．time is important for success |
| B．it is harder to find a job than before |
| C．family is more important than work |
| D． today's people are under much pressure |
Dr David Hill seems to consider the findings of the report ______ .
| A．surprising | B．misleading |
| C．convincing | D．unimportant |
What can we learn from Loftus' s words in the last paragraph?
| A．He is proud of his efforts. |
| B．He prefers to work full time. |
| C． He needs his wife' s support very much. |
| D．He finds it hard to be a stay-at-home dad. |
Which of the following can be the best title for the text?
| A．More stay-at-home dads in America |
| B．Parents spend more time with children . |
| C．The importance of family for Americans |
| D．American dads more involved in parenting |
Dear Mr. Plant,
I am an enthusiastic camper and longtime X-Ports customer, but after being offended（冒犯）for the third time at your Sierra Vista location, I am writing to complain about your impolite employees.
Several months ago ,I bought a tent that leaked（漏）the first time I used it and wanted it replaced . When I took it back, your employees accused me of tearing it myself. I left not only withm1, torn tent, but no refund(退款) and no satisfaction.
A couple of weeks ago , I bought a sleeping bag that was supposed to sleep two people comfort-ably. It didn't. Your employees refused to give me my money back even though I had the receipt. I was asked to leave the store, again with no satisfaction.
To my misfortune, my latest purchase(购买), of a piece of camping equipment at your store proyed to be another disappointment. The propane (丙烷) camp stove I bought didn't work properly. When I returned to exchange it, the rude clerk refused to help me because I did not have my sales receipt. It was an even exchange! He said that I was a problem and even asked if I had seen what products I-could purchase at one of your competitor's stores at comparable prices. Was he accusing me of something? Why would I have brought a receipt for an even exchange? Why would I know the price at other stores?
Furthermore, the clerk called security and forced me to leave your store-without my camp stove! How can I go camping now? The tent leaks, the sleeping bag is just wrong, and I don't have a stove to keep warm ! Who is going to refund my money for my stove? Who is going to help me get over the abuse I suffered in your store?
You, as the area manager must clear these matters up for me immediately! I am sending copies of this letter to your main office and the Sierra Vista Store.
Sincerely ,
Ima KumpaneeWhat was Ima' s proposed solution for the problem with the tent?
| A．To have it replaced. |
| B．To have it repaired. |
| C．To get a refund for it. |
| D．To get their apology. |
The clerk didn' t want to exchange the stove for Ima because_____.
| A．the clerk was offended |
| B．Ima destroyed it herself |
| C． Ima didn' t have the receipt |
| D．the clerk had given Ima the refund |
What was Ima' s attitude towards the purchase?
| A．Doubtful. | B．Surprised. |
| C．Dissatisfied. | D．Uninterested |
The letter is organized in order of ______.
| A．complexity | B．importance |
| C．space | D．time |
The letter was written to______.
| A．apply for a job in the store |
| B．complain about poor service |
| C．introduce some camping equipment |
| D．provide someone with information |